One month with Bodie

Our little Bodie is one month old today! I can't even describe how much I love him, and how happy I am that he is our little boy. I love his cute little smile that accidentally happens sometimes when I kiss him. I can't wait until he smiles at me on purpose! I love that he is getting stronger and sturdier and that he is awake more often during the day. I love that he calms down when he hears my voice. I love his big blue eyes. I love that the girls hold his hands as they walk along beside the stroller, and I'm pretty sure he loves that too.

I had to take Laney to the doctor today for an ear infection and the nurse offered to weigh Bodie while we were there... at one month old, he weighs 10 lbs, 9 oz.! Brian said, "that's my Big boy!" He goes to bed around 9-10 pm and usually wakes up around 3:30 or 4 am to eat, but after I feed him, he sleeps until 7:30 or 8 am. When he is up for the day, he likes to sit in his bouncy seat, or lay on his playmat and listen to Mozart. Of course, his favorite thing is just being in my arms, roaming around the house or backyard or wherever we all are.

Bodie went to his first baseball game on Saturday to see the Cy-Falls Eagles. Sadly, it wasn't a win, but it was the first game we've been able to attend since Bodie arrived, so we enjoyed it! He slept most of the game while the girls got their sidewalk chalk and drew Rapunzel all over the ground behind the dugout. He got to meet all the moms of the boys and a special teacher friend, Evelyn, who has been so sweet to all of us.

Here's Brian & Bodie next to the Cy-Falls Wall of Fame (Brian's name is on the 1996 column).
It's bittersweet that this is Brian's last season coaching baseball at Cy-Falls. It has been a blessing in many ways and alot of fun for him over the past few years. The girls have grown up going to baseball games and cheering for the Eagles. We will still be cheering for the Eagles, but Brian will play a different role next year, which we are very excited about. More on that later.

Tate and Bo, my sweet little blondies

Brian's Aunt Shelia & Uncle Terry came in town last week to welcome their new grandson, Tyson David, who was born on Monday the 11th. Melissa's water broke almost a month before her due date, and Tyson arrived. Thankfully he is very healty, despite some jaundice, and we are very excited that Bodie will have a little cousin only 3 weeks younger than him. They will be good buddies I'm sure. Here's Shelia & Bodie...

Avery got to bring T.Bear home from Kindergarten last weekend, which always makes life extra exciting. She is very sweet about sharing him with Tatum & Laney. They all enjoy dressing him up and playing with him. We've never owned a Build-A-Bear, but after seeing how much Avery loves this class bear, we decided to buy her one just like it for her Kindergarten graduation present. Don't tell her... it's a surprise!

Here's our almost 6 year old with T.Bear!

It was her turn to lead her class through their daily calendar routine, so I went to school to watch her do it. If she doesn't end up as a teacher one day, I will be very surprised. She loves to get up in front of the class and call on her classmates to answer her questions. Sometimes while she's playing at home, she will invite me to attend her "Bible study," where she has lined up all her stuffed animals on the couch and is sitting in front of them with a Bible teaching them. Anyway, she did a great job leading her class through "calendar." I am very proud of her progress this year in Kindergarten.
Speaking of teaching, I officially resigned for next year. We have prayed and talked about it alot and both felt this is the right time for me to stay home. We're going to try it for a year and see how it goes. My feelings are extreme joy, mingled with a little bit of worry, not that I won't like it, but that it will cause more financial stress than we are prepared for, or that I will end up having to find some other part time work to make things work out. But mostly I am excited. For so many reasons. I am thankful that the Lord's timing is perfect... He knew this wouldn't have worked at any other time, but at this time all the pieces fall into place just right. It almost feels surreal.

But I do have to finish this school year and I'm trying not to go down the road of depression just thinking about it. I start back to work one week from tomorrow. It's only about 4 weeks until we're out for summer, and I want to finish well. I want to love my teacher friends and my students and my FCA kids, and I want the Lord to be pleased with me and the difference I've made at Cy-Springs. Now that I'm at the end of my career there, at least for now, my mind is flooded with all the great, amazing, wonderful memories and people God has blessed me with over the past 7 years. All this to say, I am eager to finish the year well and complete the work God has given me, but I'm also stressed about getting Bodie to take a bottle and pumping for him and figuring out a schedule for him and for the girls. I thank the Lord He has it all under control and He will carry us through May, just the way He always has carried us through.

Update on Bodie

I finally convinced Avery (and Brian) to let me try to cut her hair short for the summer. One of her friends at school just got her hair cut, so Avery was open to the idea. Up until now, she has always wanted her hair long. I reminded Brian that hair does grow back and he said it was okay, so I took her in the kitchen and started chopping. I didn't take a before and after picture, but the one above was the day after we cut it. She loves it short now and I do too! Easier to wash, easier to brush, easier to fix, just plain easy!

Brian put them in their matching pajamas and they came downstairs holding hands to show me that they matched. So of course, we had to get a picture of them looking cute and matching.

Then of course, I had to add our little guy in his blue...

Bodie has been such a good baby! He is sleeping between 5-6 hours at night now and usually goes right to sleep when we put him to bed at night. That did not happen with our girls, so I don't really know what we've done differently, maybe it's just him, but either way, we are very grateful that we are getting pretty good sleep for having a 2.5 week old. He is alert more during the day and I can tell he loves to be in the same room as the rest of the crew. He likes to hear all of our voices around him. Even though those voices are sometimes very loud and silly.

At his 2-week checkup on Monday, he weighed 8 lbs and 14 oz and had grown to 21.5 inches! So he is definitely growing and thriving. We also found out he does in fact have duarte galactosemia, which is the same genetic disorder Avery & Tatum were born with. I took the news alot better this time, partly because I expected it this time, and partly because I am planning to keep on breastfeeding him, even though we're not 100% sure it's best. The (very limited) research recently has shown that there are no significant delays in DG (duarte Galactosemic) kids who are breastfed vs. kids that had galactose-restricted diets. I wish I knew that back when Avery & Tatum were infants... they both had to be weaned immediately and put on soy formula, which was heartbreaking for me. I remember the news being so devastating back then, finding out there is something not "normal" about your child, and then being told what you are trying to do to nourish your child, breastfeeding, is actually a toxin to their little bodies and could damage them permanently.

All this to say, Bodie does have duarte galactosemia, but thankfully, he is thriving on breastmilk and we are planning to continue, unless God or the doctors tells us otherwise. The fact is DG kids do sometimes have delays, whether their diet is restricted or not. So regardless of whether I switched him to soy formula or breastfeed him, it is possible that he could struggle in certain areas, just like Avery & Tatum might struggle in certain areas... whether it's a result of being DG or it's just the way they are, we will never know. But we are so thankful for our kids good health and we know that they are beautifully and wonderfully made by our loving Creator.

Laney, by the way, is just a carrier of galactosemia, but doesn't actually have the disorder. Here she is at her teddy bear picnic at school last week. She has become a very interested and affectionate big sister in the past week. When she sees Avery or Tatum having a turn holding Bodie in their lap, she wants a turn too. So I put him in her lap and she kisses his head and hugs him sometimes a little too tight, but she definitely thinks he's lovable and sweet.

Tatum got a special day with Brian this past week. Her class had a field trip to Dewberry Farm, our favorite little pumpkin/christmas tree farm, and Brian took the day off work to take her. They had a great time together and she loved having her daddy there with her. Here she is in the bluebonnets.

Tatum & Brian on the hayride

More pictures of Bodie coming soon...